Former Coventry City skipper Gary McAllister has expressed sadness that his CCFC player of the season trophy ended up for sale online.

The crystal bowl style trophy was presented to the Scot at the end of the 1999/00 season before he left the Sky Blues and signed for Liverpool . He played a key role at Anfield as The Reds won a treble of cups - including the UEFA Cup - while Coventry City were relegated from the top flight.

But McAllister told the Telegraph he looked back “fondly” on his playing career at Coventry City and that he had not deliberately parted ways with the award.

He said: “I just wanted Coventry City fans to know that the trophy meant a great deal to me at the time and is still a proud moment in my career, and period that I look back on fondly.

“I don’t want anyone to think that I have been disrespectful in any way towards the club. It’s just unfortunate.”

George Boateng celebrates with Gary McAllister after scoring during the Premiership clash with Aston Villa at Villa Park

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The trophy eventually sold for £562.48 via online auction site eBay - although McAllister said he wasn’t among the bidders. The trophy was previously listed for auction by Essex-based Stacy’s Auctioneers where it was snapped up for £55 by Burnley fan Oliver Taylor who decided to sell it on.

Explaining how the trophy left his ownership, McAllister said: “I have moved house a couple of times over the years, moved back up to Yorkshire in the last couple and the only thing I can think of is we have had a couple of garage clearances where we’ve got a guy to come a take boxes of stuff away and it must have been mistakenly left in a box and taken, which is sad really.

“I didn’t even realise it was missing until I saw the story about it turning up on eBay. As you can imagine I’ve collected a fair few bits and bobs over the years. It’s a big trophy and I obviously can’t have them all on display and that’s the only way I can see how it has ended up where it has.

“I have given stuff to family and friends over my career but I cannot believe they would have sold anything on.”

McAllister rejoined Coventry City as player manager in 2002 but that spell came to an end in January 2004.

He went on to manage Leeds United and took up the position of caretaker manager at Aston Villa before joining the coaching staff at Liverpool.

He left the coaching team at Anfield in 2015 and is now an ambassador for the club.